---
title: "Researchers build optical clock that relies on sunlight"
url: https://newscentral.site/researchers-build-optical-clock-that-relies-on-sunlight/
language: en
publisher: "News Central Site"
section: "Science"
published: 2026-11-13T17:00:00.000Z
updated: 2026-11-14T09:39:10.128Z
id: e674e6d6-db00-4df1-bfee-4c589f4d7400
source: "New Scientist https://www.newscientist.com/article/2598583-researchers-built-the-first-ever-quantum-clock-that-uses-sunlight/?utm_campaign=RSS|NSNS&utm_content=home&utm_medium=RSS&utm_source=NSNS"
attribution: "Link to https://newscentral.site/researchers-build-optical-clock-that-relies-on-sunlight/ and name News Central Site when you quote or summarize this story."
---

# Researchers build optical clock that relies on sunlight

A team at the University of Colorado, Boulder has developed an optical clock powered by sunlight.

Researchers at the University of Colorado, Boulder, have made a groundbreaking achievement in timekeeping technology. They've built an optical clock that relies on sunlight as its core component, marking a significant departure from traditional methods. This innovation could enable scientists to study changes in the sun's velocity and processes occurring on its surface with unprecedented accuracy.

The concept of using sunlight for timekeeping dates back to ancient times, when sundials were used to track the passage of hours. However, modern optical clocks rely on quantum mechanical effects and are typically isolated from their surroundings to maintain precision. The new clock developed by Scott Diddams and his team breaks this mold by harnessing the power of solar light.

The process of creating these solar-powered clocks involves using a frequency comb device, which converts visible sunlight into microwaves that can be processed electronically. This allows researchers to translate the oscillations within the laser beam into measurable ticks of time. The potential applications for this technology are vast and could revolutionize our understanding of celestial bodies.

In contrast to traditional optical clocks, which use isolated atoms as their core component, this new design leverages the power of sunlight to achieve remarkable accuracy. This shift in approach raises exciting possibilities for scientific research, particularly in the field of solar physics. The team's achievement is a testament to human ingenuity and our capacity to innovate and push the boundaries of what is thought possible.

The researchers' innovative approach involved harnessing the energy from sunlight to create a quantum clock, a feat previously thought impossible without atomic precision.

In their experiment, they employed a laser and frequency comb, but instead of relying on an atom's internal workings, they utilized the impact of sunlight on iron atoms in the sun's atmosphere to generate a comparable effect.

The sunlight was collected into a specialized fibre and fed directly into the clock's system, allowing it to tap into the subtle signature left behind by the interaction between solar radiation and these atmospheric atoms.

This novel application of solar energy marked the first time such a solar optical clock had been constructed.

The new optical clock's reliance on starlight poses a significant challenge in collecting sufficient light for accurate timekeeping. Large telescopes would be necessary to gather the light from distant stars over extended periods of time.

Piet Schmidt at the National Metrology Institute of Germany highlights the innovative aspect of this design, which diverges from traditional lab-based approaches by harnessing celestial light instead. However, as a tool for studying stellar light, the new clock doesn't outperform existing methods for observing starlight.

---
Source: [New Scientist](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2598583-researchers-built-the-first-ever-quantum-clock-that-uses-sunlight/?utm_campaign=RSS|NSNS&utm_content=home&utm_medium=RSS&utm_source=NSNS)  
Published by News Central Site: https://newscentral.site/researchers-build-optical-clock-that-relies-on-sunlight/